20190811
REALIZING
YOUR DREAM
11 AUGUST, 2019,
Sunday, 19th Week, Ordinary Time
Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour:
Green.
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First reading
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Wisdom 18:6-9 ©
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You made us glorious by calling us to
you
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That night had been foretold to our
ancestors, so that,
once they saw what kind of oaths they had
put their trust in,
they would joyfully take courage.
This was the expectation of your people,
the saving of the virtuous and the ruin of
their enemies;
for by the same act with which you took
vengeance on our foes
you made us glorious by calling us to you.
The devout children of worthy men offered
sacrifice in secret
and this divine pact they struck with one
accord:
that the saints would share the same
blessings and dangers alike;
and forthwith they had begun to chant the
hymns of the fathers.
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Responsorial Psalm
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Psalm 32(33):1,12,18-20,22 ©
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Happy are the people the
Lord has chosen as his own.
Ring out your joy to the Lord, O you just;
for praise is fitting for
loyal hearts.
They are happy, whose God is the Lord,
the people he has chosen as
his own.
Happy are the people the
Lord has chosen as his own.
The Lord looks on those who revere him,
on those who hope in his love,
to rescue their souls from death,
to keep them alive in famine.
Happy are the people the
Lord has chosen as his own.
Our soul is waiting for the Lord.
The Lord is our help and our
shield.
May your love be upon us, O Lord,
as we place all our hope in
you.
Happy are the people the
Lord has chosen as his own.
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Second reading
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Hebrews 11:1-2,8-19 ©
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Abraham looked forward to a city
founded, designed and built by God
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Only faith can guarantee the blessings
that we hope for, or prove the existence of the realities that at present
remain unseen. It was for faith that our ancestors were commended.
It
was by faith that Abraham obeyed the call to set out for a country that was the
inheritance given to him and his descendants, and that he set out without
knowing where he was going. By faith he arrived, as a foreigner, in the
Promised Land, and lived there as if in a strange country, with Isaac and
Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. They lived there in tents
while he looked forward to a city founded, designed and built by God.
It
was equally by faith that Sarah, in spite of being past the age, was made able
to conceive, because she believed that he who had made the promise would be
faithful to it. Because of this, there came from one man, and one who was
already as good as dead himself, more descendants than could be counted, as
many as the stars of heaven or the grains of sand on the seashore.
All
these died in faith, before receiving any of the things that had been promised,
but they saw them in the far distance and welcomed them, recognising that they
were only strangers and nomads on earth. People who use such terms about
themselves make it quite plain that they are in search of their real homeland.
They can hardly have meant the country they came from, since they had the
opportunity to go back to it; but in fact they were longing for a better
homeland, their heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called
their God, since he has founded the city for them.
It
was by faith that Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac. He offered
to sacrifice his only son even though the promises had been made to him and he
had been told: It is through Isaac that your name will be carried on. He was
confident that God had the power even to raise the dead; and so, figuratively
speaking, he was given back Isaac from the dead.
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Gospel Acclamation
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Mt11:25
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Alleluia, alleluia!
Blessed are you, Father,
Lord of heaven and earth,
for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom
to mere children.
Alleluia!
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Or:
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Mt24:42 44
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Alleluia, alleluia!
Stay awake and stand ready,
because you do not know the hour
when the Son of Man is coming.
Alleluia!
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Gospel
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Luke 12:32-48 ©
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You too must stand ready
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Jesus said to his disciples: ‘There is no
need to be afraid, little flock, for it has pleased your Father to give you the
kingdom.
‘Sell
your possessions and give alms. Get yourselves purses that do not wear out,
treasure that will not fail you, in heaven where no thief can reach it and no
moth destroy it. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
‘See
that you are dressed for action and have your lamps lit. Be like men waiting
for their master to return from the wedding feast, ready to open the door as
soon as he comes and knocks. Happy those servants whom the master finds awake
when he comes. I tell you solemnly, he will put on an apron, sit them down at
table and wait on them. It may be in the second watch he comes, or in the
third, but happy those servants if he finds them ready. You may be quite sure
of this, that if the householder had known at what hour the burglar would come,
he would not have let anyone break through the wall of his house. You too must
stand ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.’
Peter
said, ‘Lord, do you mean this parable for us, or for everyone?’ The Lord
replied, ‘What sort of steward, then, is faithful and wise enough for the
master to place him over his household to give them their allowance of food at
the proper time? Happy that servant if his master’s arrival finds him at this
employment. I tell you truly, he will place him over everything he owns. But as
for the servant who says to himself, “My master is taking his time coming,” and
sets about beating the menservants and the maids, and eating and drinking and
getting drunk, his master will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour
he does not know. The master will cut him off and send him to the same fate as
the unfaithful.
The
servant who knows what his master wants, but has not even started to carry out
those wishes, will receive very many strokes of the lash. The one who did not
know, but deserves to be beaten for what he has done, will receive fewer
strokes. When a man has had a great deal given him, a great deal will be
demanded of him; when a man has had a great deal given him on trust, even more
will be expected of him.’
REALIZING YOUR
DREAM
SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ Wis 18:6-9; Ps 33:1, 12, 18-20, 22; Heb 11:1-2.8-19 (or >< 11:1-2.8-12); Lk 12:32-48 (or >< 12:35-40) ]
All of us have dreams in
life. Without dreams, we will live a mediocre life. Our dreams give us a purpose to
live on and struggle in the face of challenges in daily life. So it is
important that we have dreams, otherwise we just drift on in life, without
purpose, without meaning and without passion. Indeed, to dream is to
aspire for something yet unseen and unrealized. It is something that we
see partially but in the distance. This was the case of Abraham, Isaac
and Jacob. “They saw them in the far distance and welcomed them.”
But it is not enough to
have dreams. We must ask what kind of dreams we have. If our dreams
are mediocre, then we will live a life of mediocrity. Indeed, in the gospel Jesus warns those
whose dreams are illusive and transitional. Jesus said, “‘Sell your
possessions and give alms. Get yourselves purses that do not wear out, treasure
that will not fail you, in heaven where no thief can reach it and no moth
destroy it. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
If our dream is just to get rich, become famous, enjoy a life of pleasure, this
kind of dream will not bring us far. Once the bodily needs are fulfilled,
our soul thirsts for something more. That is why all the power, status
and pleasures of this world cannot fulfill the hunger of the soul, the hunger
for God, meaning and love. Whether we believe we have a soul or not, the
fact that even when our body is satisfied and we are not fulfilled means that
we have a soul that longs for something beyond what is material.
So what dreams can
outlast us and give us satisfaction in life? It is the dream of
Jesus. What
was His dream? It is to build the kingdom of God, the kingdom of love,
justice, peace and harmony among all peoples. What will give
us true and lasting happiness and fulfillment in life is when we work not for
ourselves but for God and His people. It is only when we recognize that
we are servants of God, laboring in His kingdom for His people that we find
great joy. Building up our people in love, making the country prosperous,
ensuring peace and harmony among all peoples, and making progress for the
country is what gives us fulfillment.
How, then, can we
realize this dream of Jesus to build a loving, gracious and caring society? We
need to exercise our stewardship responsibly. This is what the Lord said to Peter and His apostles,
“Happy that servant if his master’s arrival finds him at this employment. I
tell you truly, he will place him over everything he owns. Indeed, if each one
of us applies our energy and resources fully to what is required of us, we will
do well in life. Each one of us according to our vocation, our talents
and our position must fulfill the tasks given to us.
By employing ourselves
fully to the tasks at hand, we prepare ourselves for future challenges and
greater responsibilities. This
is what the Lord said, “When a man has had a great deal given him, a
great deal will be demanded of him; when a man has had a great deal given him
on trust, even more will be expected of him.” We should not be worried
about promotion and future prospects. They will come as we commit
ourselves to what we are called to do at the moment. Indeed, the Lord
also said, “For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have
an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be
taken away.” (Mt 25:29)
Secondly, we need to
have faith. Without
faith, we will give up easily when trials and tribulations come. With faith, we
can wait patiently for God’s plan to be fulfilled. It was the faith
of the Fathers of Israel that helped Israel to realize the dream that God had
for them. It was the faith of the Christian Fathers that the Church was
born. The second reading recounts the faith of Abraham and Sarah.
“It was by faith that Abraham obeyed the call to set out for a country that was
the inheritance given to him and his descendants, and that he set out without
knowing where he was going. By faith he arrived, as a foreigner, in the
Promised Land, and lived there as if in a strange country, with Isaac and
Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. They lived there in tents
while he looked forward to a city founded, designed and built by God.”
They started from scratch. God’s plan was not realized in their time.
So too when we start to build our dreams, we must be patient and wait for God
to help us realize our dreams.
Faith is necessary also
to keep us believing what we think is impossible. For God, nothing is
impossible. The
angel said to Mary, “For nothing will be impossible with God.” (Lk 1:37) Elizabeth echoed this truth
when she said of Mary, “blessed is she who believed that there would be a
fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord” (Lk 1:45) Jesus said to the man with the son
suffering from epilepsy, “If you are able! – All things can be done for the one
who believes.” (Mk 9:23) Indeed, “It
was equally by faith that Sarah, in spite of being past the age, was made able
to conceive, because she believed that he who had made the promise would be
faithful to it. Because of this, there came from one man, and one who was
already as good as dead himself, more descendants than could be
counted.” The author concludes, “Only faith can guarantee the
blessings that we hope for, or prove the existence of the realities that at
present remain unseen.” So, too, in faith, we must persevere, not seeing
yet continuing to hope in faith that it will be realized in time. With
faith, nothing is impossible. It is said, “No poison can kill a positive
thinker, and no medicine can save a negative thinker.”
Thirdly, we need to keep
our dream alive if we want to persevere. This was what the Fathers of Israel did.
We must keep holding to our dreams and remind each other of the dream before
us, especially those of us who are leaders because we are keepers of the
dream. The author of Hebrew remarked, “All these died in faith, before
receiving any of the things that had been promised, but they saw them in the
far distance and welcomed them, recognising that they were only strangers and
nomads on earth.” We must continue to persevere even when we do not see
the dream realized in our lifetime.
Our task is to sow the
seed and cooperate with His grace.
But the harvest is the work of God and it will come just like the mustard
seed. It will grow into “the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large
branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.” (Mk 4:32) Indeed, what we enjoy today is
the result of the sacrifices and hard work of our forefathers as the book of
Wisdom recounted. Without their contribution, vision, toils and selfless
devotion to the country and the Church, we will not be enjoying the fruits of
their labour. They did not enjoy the fruits themselves, so, too, we must
labour for our children’s children. To know that they will reap the
benefits of our hard work and that they will be well cared for in itself will
bring us great joy and happiness.
In the final analysis,
our dream is not for this world alone but for the future and eternal homeland. The author of Hebrews wrote about
Abraham, “They can hardly have meant the country they came from, since they had
the opportunity to go back to it; but in fact they were longing for a better
homeland, their heavenly homeland.” Indeed, the greatest dream one
day is to know that we have done our part in building the earthly kingdom and
we can transit into the New Eternal Kingdom where we can enjoy communion and
relationship with the Lord forever as in a wedding feast. In that kingdom,
the Lord said, “Happy those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes.
I tell you solemnly, he will put on an apron, sit them down at table and wait
on them.” Indeed, fellowship with the Lord and the communion of saints is
what heaven is all about. It is about everlasting life, love, joy and
union. With the psalmist we say, “Ring out your joy to the Lord, O you
just; for praise is fitting for loyal hearts. They are happy, whose God is the
Lord, the people he has chosen as his own.”
Written
by The Most Rev William Goh, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Singapore © All
Rights Reserved
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